Skyfall

19122012

I did something for only the second time this year yesterday. That’s right, I went to the movies. And in doing so, I saw a Bond film for the first time.

What Bond would be complete without it?

Having not seen, or even been interested in any of the previous 20-odd films in the franchise, I don’t know what it was that drew me to this latest offering. Maybe it was the theme as sung by Adele. This song sounded awesome to me the first time I heard it, and well, seeing the film was just an excuse to hear it through a good quality sound system nice and loud without annoying anyone.

Speak of annoying though, why do people persist on talking during the film? While the previews are on, go for your life, get all that last chit-chat out now, or forever hold your silence. Yesterday though, I was blown away. An older lady sitting behind me and my friends had what seemed like an eternity of ads and previews to ask her friend what she thought the best Bond film was, but no, she had to wait until the film itself had started. And she kept piping up throughout the film at the most annoying of times.

The film itself though was well worth it. As I said, I’ve not seen any other Bonds, so I can’t do any comparisons, but I really enjoyed the experience. The landscapes that the film took in were the major draw card for me. Travelling from Istanbul to Shanghai and the country side of Scotland as well as London CBD, the colours that the big screen captured will be sorely lost for DVD and Blu-ray.

The vibrancy of the oriental casino in Shanghai was awesome. The reds, yellows and oranges were truly striking on the big screen. The isolation of the Manor (which was called ‘Skyfall’) in the Scottish country side was slightly comforting for me. (SPOILER ALERT – ed.) It was just a shame that they had to blow the place up.

Posh up market cars were plentiful in the film; from Audis and Mercedes’ through to Jags. And no Bond film would be complete without an appearance from the DB5.

The plot sees a hard drive of all MI6 and secret agents stolen and their names released 5 a weeks and then killed. Bond obviously has to retrieve said hard drive and stop any more information getting out and damage done.

No matter how cheesey it may have appeared, Bond was never going to die despite being shot by a sniper within the first few minutes. He then washes up on an island and is seen making out with an unbelievably hot chick.

M’s (Judy Dench) office is blown up in the CBD and the whole MI6 operation has to be moved for safety reasons. They know who has the hard drive, but the difficulty is in retrieving it. They trace the bloke who sold it to Shanghai where a fight ensues and whoever he was falls from high up in a building. Luckily he left behind a vital clue; a casino chip with the inscription ‘Macau’.

M

After meeting up with a beautiful woman, Bond and said women are eventually kidnapped by Silva. Silva was cast off by M and wants revenge by seeing her death. He tries to bribe Bond into swapping allegiances by revealing the truth about M to Bond.

Having used a distress device given to him by Q, a rather young looking Q (complete with glasses and youth experience with computers) Silva is captured and locked up.

Q

Some of Silva’s accomplices continue to hack MI6’s computer systems which then allow him to escape. Disguising himself as a police officer on the busy under system, Silva heads straight for the hearing that M finds herself in because of the massive breach of security that resulted in the earlier bombing of her office.

All important figures survive, and the plot moves of to Scotland. Bond leads Silva out there to the manor where massive explosions take place and loss of life is in high numbers.

Silva

Silva catches up with M and orders her to kill them both by placing his head and hers together and telling her to pull the trigger. Surprise, surprise, Bond saves the day.

I think I’ve spoiled enough of the film, so I’ll let you see it (everyone’s probably seen it by now anyway – ed.) and how Bond wins again.